Cult Indoctrination

1
Cult Indoctrination

• Persuasion on Steroids

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Cults vs. Religions

• Tend to reveal mission after you join, not before
• Emphasis on joining, not understanding religion
• Cut off from family life outside
• Want more than tithing (10)

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Cults aka New Religious Movement

• A group characterized by the distinctive ritual
  of its devotion to a god or person or idea
• Isolation from surrounding evil culture
• A highly charismatic, male leader.

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Most recruits are

• Idealistic
• At a junction in their lives
• Middle class
• 18-25 years old

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The Message

• Recruits may be lonely, depressed, or overwhelmed
  
• Cult answers with warmth, acceptance, love
• Being told what to do may be reassuring

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Cults seek to

• Persuade people to leave their homes families
• Usually involve some sexual control

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How do they do it?

• Foot-in-the-door. People usually do not decide
  consciously to be a Moonie, Heavens Gater, or
  whatever.
• They begin by going to a dinner/retreat.
• Gradual process where you give a bit, eventually
  sign over the bank account.

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Attitudes follow Behavior

• Compliance breeds acceptance.
• So, recruits sent out to preach the word
• Solicit funds
• Get them to see themselves as group members

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Group Effects

• Conformity pressure increases w/ numbers.
• If doubtful, many there to shout you down.
• Cult determines reality because cut off from all
  other information.

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Dictatorships do this, too

• In 1933, Hitler controlled all the media
• Media said what they were told to say
• And repeated the message again again

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Other techniques

• Keep recruits overly busy (cant think to
  counterargue)
• Never leave them alone
• Teach them to police their minds
• Punish wayward members in front of their cult
  peers

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Focus on the vision/phantom

• The better life for the faithful
• Whatever they are building toward, if you fail,
  they all fail
• Pressure to move toward goal

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Hopeful Items

• Fewer than 1 in 10 people recruited actually join
  the Moonies
• Most of Heavens Gate devotees left before the
  end
• Jim Jones (Peoples Temple) started with
  persuasion, ended with beatings, drugs, etc.

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Resisting Persuasion

• 1.To resist, state your own position first
• 2. Challenge peoples beliefs mildly (strong
  attack is overwhelming)

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Attitude Innoculation

• 3. do not raise children where they are not
  exposed to other ideas. (no challenge, no real
  commitment)

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Reaction Paper

• 1. Have you ever known anyone who entered a cult?
  Why did they do it? Were any of the things in
  this presentation applicable to their case?
• 2. Have you ever attended a cult recruiting
  session? What did you encounter? Was the session
  like the material presented?

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Reaction Paper

• 3. Do you personally believe that you are immune
  to such persuasion? If so, why? Did this lecture
  help you with this resistance? Why or why not?